The Commission on Appointments (CA) ruled on the nominations of Philippine envoys to the United States and the United Nations, but postponed the nomination of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.
During the CA’s plenary session, the foreign affairs committee chaired by Senator Jinggoy Estrada approved the appointment of Jose Manuel Romualdez, a relative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as ambassador to the United States.
Romualdez was also appointed as Chief of Mission, Class I, in his concurrent capacity as having jurisdiction over the Commonwealth of Jamaica, the Republic of Haiti, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia.
Romualdez, whose term as ambassador was due to end on June 30, retained the current post, which he has held since 2017, when he was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The CA also discussed and approved the appointment of Antonio Manuel Lagdameo as Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN.
Lagdameo, father of Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo, was also appointed as Chief of Mission, Class I.
Prior to his appointment, the elder Lagdameo, a former Davao del Norte congressman, served as the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The CA, however, suspended deliberations on the interim appointment of Manalo as Foreign Affairs chief after House Majority Floor Leader and Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative Luis Ray Villafuerte requested a suspension due to lack of time.
He noted that the CA had yet to convene its plenary session that afternoon and panel members had not yet finished questioning Manalo, who was the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations before was appointed head of the Foreign Department. Affairs (DFA).
Manalo also served briefly as acting DFA chief in 2017 after the interim appointment of the late Perfecto Yasay Jr. was rejected by the CA.
Under the Arroyo presidency, the 69-year-old Manalo was also the foreign undersecretary for policy. He was the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg and was the chief of mission to the European Union.
Before the panel approved the motion, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri first asked cabinet members to attend legislative hearings.
He specifically mentioned the senate committee on foreign affairs, which has yet to hold its organizational meeting as Manalo has not been able to confirm his attendance.
“I want to reiterate the importance of participating in the hearing session of the committee for foreign affairs”, said Zubiri, emphasizing that the other committees have already completed their organizational meetings.
“I know you said you’re busy, but we’re also very busy and we’re a co-equal branch of government. Remember that,” he said.
Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the foreign relations committee, also expressed her disappointment over Manalo’s failure to attend the panel’s organizational session and the delay in delivering the DFA’s position on some issues, such as the Visiting Forces Agreement , Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
“It is only my regret that we could not have the conference another day. I apologize completely for that, but honestly it was completely out of my control, but I would have definitely come if it wasn’t for these previous commitments,” Manalo said.
He assured Marcos of his cooperation with her panel.
At the hearing, Marcos pressed Manalo to state his stance on Malaysia being ordered by a French court to pay $14.9 billion to the heirs of the Sulu sultanate for violating a private international lease agreement.
Marcos launched a newspaper column in which the columnist accused the ambassador of being a “weak” for his silence on Sabah’s claim.
“Given that you are the secretary of our Department of Foreign Affairs, let’s set the record straight now. What is your real position on the Sabah issue? Do you intend to support the continuing act of the Republic of the Philippines, following its predecessor and interest in recognizing the Sultanate of Sulu as a leading and unifying institution in the indigenous cultural communities in the Sulu Archipelago and the territories of North Borneo?” she asked.
Manalo said his department will abide by the Philippines’ ongoing policy and that the agency is coordinating with concerned agencies to assess the nature and implications of the French court’s ruling.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Alexander Ramos as the new head of an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) responsible for all functions related to cyber security.
Ramos has been named Executive Director V of the DICT’s Cyber Crimes Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC), press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said at a Palace briefing.
Malacañang has yet to release Ramos’ nomination papers.
Prior to his new appointment, Ramos served as DICT’s senior cyber security advisor.
Aside from Ramos, Mary Rose Magsaysay has also been designated as CICC deputy executive director, Cruz-Angeles said.
Other new CICC appointees include Patricia May Abejo, Rojun Hosillos and Alvin Miro Navarro, who will all hold the rank of Director IV.
The CICC, created after the passage of Republic Act 10175 or the Cyber Crime Prevention Act of 2012, is responsible for formulating a National Cyber Security Plan and facilitating international intelligence cooperation related to cyber security issues.
It also serves as the lead agency in monitoring cybercrime cases handled by participating law enforcement and prosecution agencies, as well as recommending the adoption of appropriate laws, issuances, measures and policies in accordance with its mandate.
He is also mandated to lead the Philippine government’s efforts to protect the country, institutions and citizens against cybercrime.
In June this year, CICC launched the country’s first Digital Forensics Platform and Lab to help in the country’s fight against online sexual abuse and child exploitation.
